After 6 years, fan-made Star Fox looks great

For those of us who are waiting for another Star Fox space shooter, good news …

A group of dedicated fans has spent the past six years working on a new Star Fox game. While fan-made projects often end with unimpressive results, this one looks like it's headed in the right direction and could wind up being a truly fun experience for anyone who was ever a fan of the original games on the SNES and Nintendo 64—an impressive feat when you realize the developers are operating without any help at all from the likes of Nintendo or other big-name studios.

The game, Shadows of Lylat is going to be a space shooter that will be available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It has been constructed with the FreeSpace Open engine, but it won't require FreeSpace to play on a computer. The game's trailer, which features work-in-progress visuals, certainly looks impressive, and shows off how the Shadows of Lylat will actually feature both space and ground-based missions. The game is also set to feature a slew of playable ships, a multitude of weapons, and robust single/multiplayer modes. Meanwhile, the story will take place between Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Adventures.

Of course, what everyone wants to know is when the game is due out, which is clearly something the developers are getting asked a lot, since the official FAQ page addresses the question: "It will be done when it is done. We're doing this on our own and for zero money, so that's the best we can give you. That being said, we're trying our best to get a demo done for people to try." There's also an open call for people to help with Shadows of Lylat's development, so anyone looking to get involved with the project can contact some of the administrators for more information.